Deep Blue versus Kasparov, 1997, Game 6

See also: Deep Blue versus Garry Kasparov
IBM's Deep Blue
(model)=white
World Champion Garry Kasparov=black
Animation of the game

Game 6 of the Deep Blue–Kasparov rematch, played in New York City on 11 May 1997 and starting at 3:00 p.m. EDT, was the final chess game in the 1997 rematch between Deep Blue and Garry Kasparov.

Deep Blue had been further upgraded from the previous year's match and was unofficially nicknamed "Deeper Blue." Before this game, the score was tied at 2½–2½: Kasparov had won the first game, lost the second, and drawn games three, four, and five (despite having advantageous positions in all three).

The loss marked the first time that a computer had defeated a reigning World Champion in a match of several games. The fact that Kasparov had lasted only 19 moves in a game lasting barely more than an hour attracted considerable media attention.

The game

White: Deep Blue   Black: Kasparov   Opening: Caro–Kann Defense, Steinitz Variation (ECO B17)

1. e4 c6

Somewhat atypically, Kasparov plays the solid Caro–Kann Defense. In later matches against computers, he opted for 1...e5 or the sharp Sicilian Defense (1...c5), his usual choice against human opponents.
abcdefgh
8a8 black rookb8c8 black bishopd8 black queene8 black kingf8 black bishopg8 black knighth8 black rook8
7a7 black pawnb7 black pawnc7d7 black knighte7 black pawnf7 black pawng7 black pawnh7 black pawn7
6a6b6c6 black pawnd6e6f6g6h66
5a5b5c5d5e5f5g5 white knighth55
4a4b4c4d4 white pawne4f4g4h44
3a3b3c3d3e3f3g3h33
2a2 white pawnb2 white pawnc2 white pawnd2e2f2 white pawng2 white pawnh2 white pawn2
1a1 white rookb1c1 white bishopd1 white queene1 white kingf1 white bishopg1 white knighth1 white rook1
abcdefgh
Position after 5.Ng5

2. d4 d5 3. Nc3 dxe4 4. Nxe4 Nd7 5. Ng5 (diagram)

This relatively recent innovation breaks a classic opening principle ("don't move the same piece twice in the opening") but puts pressure on the weak f7-square. Kasparov himself had played this move as White in at least three earlier games.

5... Ngf6 6. Bd3 e6 7. N1f3 h6? (diagram)

abcdefgh
8a8 black rookb8c8 black bishopd8 black queene8 black kingf8 black bishopg8h8 black rook8
7a7 black pawnb7 black pawnc7d7 black knighte7f7 black pawng7 black pawnh77
6a6b6c6 black pawnd6e6 black pawnf6 black knightg6h6 black pawn6
5a5b5c5d5e5f5g5 white knighth55
4a4b4c4d4 white pawne4f4g4h44
3a3b3c3d3 white bishope3f3 white knightg3h33
2a2 white pawnb2 white pawnc2 white pawnd2e2f2 white pawng2 white pawnh2 white pawn2
1a1 white rookb1c1 white bishopd1 white queene1 white kingf1g1h1 white rook1
abcdefgh
Position after 7...h6?
A strange choice by Kasparov, one of the most theoretically knowledgeable players in chess history. It has been suggested that this was a blunder—Kasparov may have mixed up his opening moves, playing ...h6 one move too early. The standard continuation was 7...Bd6 8.Qe2 h6 9.Ne4 Nxe4 10.Qxe4, as seen in Kasparov–Kamsky (1994) and Kasparov–Epishin (1995), among others. The upcoming sacrifice is well-known in theory, and Kasparov must have been aware of it. (Some reports even claim he once wrote an article supporting 8.Nxe6 as a refutation.)
Feng-Hsiung Hsu, system architect of Deep Blue, suggests that it may have been a deliberate "anti-computer" move.[1] Objectively, the move may be acceptable, although the resulting position is extremely tough for a human player to defend. White's response is very strong, but computer programs Kasparov was familiar with could not properly play Nxe6—some were even specifically forbidden from attempting it because they lost too easily. Hsu suggests Kasparov expected Deep Blue to either sacrifice the knight and struggle, or retreat and lose a tempo.

8. Nxe6!

The computer is aided by having this knight sacrifice programmed into its opening book . This move had been played previously in a number of high-level games, with White achieving strong results. As an indicator of how much computer chess progressed after this match, modern engines (even without books) correctly evaluate Nxe6 as best. At the time, however, it was assumed that only the opening book allowed Deep Blue to find it. White's compensation for the sacrificed material was not obvious enough for computers of that era to find independently.[2]

8... Qe7?

Instead of immediately taking the knight, Kasparov pins it to the king to give his king a square on d8. Many annotators criticized this move, however, suggesting he should have taken the knight right away. Although the black king would require two moves to reach d8 after 8...fxe6 9.Bg6+ Ke7, the queen could then be placed on the superior c7-square.

9. 0-0

White castles—now 9...Qxe6?? would lose to 10.Re1, pinning and winning Black's queen. Black must now take the knight or be a pawn down.
abcdefgh
8a8 black rookb8c8 black bishopd8 black kinge8f8 black bishopg8h8 black rook8
7a7 black pawnb7 black pawnc7d7 black knighte7 black queenf7g7 black pawnh77
6a6b6c6 black pawnd6e6 black pawnf6 black knightg6 white bishoph6 black pawn6
5a5b5c5d5e5f5g5h55
4a4b4c4d4 white pawne4f4 white bishopg4h44
3a3b3c3d3e3f3 white knightg3h33
2a2 white pawnb2 white pawnc2 white pawnd2e2f2 white pawng2 white pawnh2 white pawn2
1a1 white rookb1c1d1 white queene1f1 white rookg1 white kingh11
abcdefgh
Position after 11.Bf4

9... fxe6 10. Bg6+ Kd8 11. Bf4 (diagram)

If Black’s bishop were on d6 instead of f8, White would not be able to play this move. For the sacrificed knight, White's bishops dominate the position. Black, having moved his king, can no longer castle, his queen blocks his own bishop, and he struggles to develop his pieces or utilize the extra knight.

11... b5?

The first new move of the game, and Deep Blue must now start thinking independently. Kasparov's idea is to gain space on the queenside and prevent c2–c4. This move has been criticized, however, by Schwartzman,[3] Seirawan,[4] and Rajlich,[5] as weakening the queenside pawn structure and inviting White to open lines.

12. a4 Bb7

Keeping lines closed with 12...b4 was considered mandatory according to Keene, although then 13.c4 would severely cramp Black's position.[6]

13. Re1 Nd5 14. Bg3 Kc8 15. axb5 cxb5 16. Qd3 Bc6 17. Bf5

White is piling pressure onto Black’s e6-pawn and plans to invade with the rooks. Kasparov cannot hold onto all his extra material and must surrender his queen for a rook and bishop.

17... exf5 18. Rxe7 Bxe7 19. c4 1–0

Black resigns. The white queen will soon invade via c4 or f5. After Re1, White will have a decisive advantage. One sample continuation: 19...bxc4 20.Qxc4 Nb4 (20...Kb7 21.Qa6#) 21.Re1 Kd8 22.Rxe7 Kxe7 23.Qxb4+.
abcdefgh
8
a8 black rook
c8 black king
h8 black rook
a7 black pawn
d7 black knight
e7 black bishop
g7 black pawn
c6 black bishop
h6 black pawn
b5 black pawn
d5 black knight
f5 black pawn
c4 white pawn
d4 white pawn
d3 white queen
f3 white knight
g3 white bishop
b2 white pawn
f2 white pawn
g2 white pawn
h2 white pawn
a1 white rook
g1 white king
8
77
66
55
44
33
22
11
abcdefgh
Final position after 19.c4

After the game, Kasparov accused the Deep Blue team of cheating (i.e., having human masters assist the computer). Although Kasparov wanted a rematch, IBM declined and discontinued the Deep Blue project.[7]

See also

References

  1. ^ Feng-Hsiung Hsu (2002). Behind Deep Blue. Princeton University Press. pp. 255–256. ISBN 0691118183.
  2. ^ "Deeper Blue Beats Kasparov". Chess Life (Special Summer, 1997). United States Chess Federation.
  3. ^ Chess Life, Special Summer 1997
  4. ^ ChessCafe.com, see link in the "External links" section
  5. ^ Rajlich, Vasik (2010). "Man vs Machine". New in Chess (2): 50–56.
  6. ^ Raymond Keene (2005). Chess Terminators. Hardinge Simpole Publishing. p. 104. ISBN 1-84382-171-0.
  7. ^ Anderson, Mark Robert (2017-05-11). "Twenty years on from Deep Blue vs Kasparov: how a chess match started the big data revolution". The Conversation. Retrieved 2024-01-28.
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